Over the last decade, malicious software (malware) has become a pervasive problem for Internet users. In some situations, malware is a program or file that is embedded within downloadable content and designed to adversely influence or attack normal operations of a computer. Examples of different types of malware may include bots, computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, adware, or any other programming that operates within an electronic device (e.g., laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet computer, smartphone, server, router, wearable technology, or other types of electronics with data processing capabilities) without permission by the user or an administrator.
Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are a type of malware that target a particular individual and seek to extract a particular set of information that is known to be accessible to the defined target. The targets may include individuals and organizations with high value information (e.g., classified or sensitive defense secrets and information that would be considered trade secrets or intellectual property). For example, an electronic mail (email) message may be sent to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company. The email message may contain an attachment, such as a Portable Document Format (PDF) document, with embedded executable malware that is intended to perform industrial espionage. When opened, the executable malware in the document may target financial data for the company only accessible to the CEO. Although the document may be identified as malware by traditional malware detection systems, these systems may fail to properly identify the attack and associated objects as APTs. Although described in relation to the commercial sector, APTs may seek to perform nation state attacks for the purposes of political terrorism or espionage.